Our Little Secret Revised
by aestheticreations
Summary: After Kagome closed the well, she had no idea that she was pregnant.  She did not fulfill her duties to the Jewel as its guardian, so now she pays the price.  New allies and enemies are made as Kagome fights to protect her daughter from this new evil.
1. Chapter 1

Our Little Secret

Disclaimer: I do not under any circumstances own Inuyasha!●○◦●

Chapter 1

Summary: After Kagome closed up the well for good, she finds out that she is pregnant with Inuyasha's child. Eight months later she gives birth and it turns out to be a girl. Sixteen years later, Sakura is angered by her mother. What will Kagome do? R&R! Rated T, for Teens.

She woke up with a huge yawn and stared up at her ceiling. She got up and walked over to her dresser. Opening the top drawer she took out her tank top and jean shorts. After putting them on she looked in the mirror. She gazed at her long silver hair then traveled back up to her two amber eyes that sparkled in the sun's rays.

Sakura always wondered why she was different from everybody else. Her hair was silver. 'What human has silver hair? Well except the fact when they get old it looks silver. But that's old people. I'm a teenager.' Sakura frowned as she ran her long, slim fingers through the long strands. She walked out of the bedroom and spotted her uncle coming up the stairs.

"Ohayo, Sakura." Souta greeted his niece as he climbed the top stair. He was very tall, now as a graduate of Tokyo's prized university, he works in a corporate business for sports management. Sakura smiled sweetly at her uncle.

"Good to see you, Uncle Souta." She replied. He smiled then walked past her into his room. Sakura watched him disappear into his room, but she couldn't help but ask him the questions that plagued her mind.

"Uncle Souta. Have you ever wondered why I look different then everybody else?" She asked inquisitively.

He just stood in his room for a minute and returned to the bedroom door. Propping his arm against the door frame beside his head he cocked his head at his little niece.

"You look fine to me. Go ask your mother and see what she says." He replied instantly and closed his door to retreat back into his room. Sakura rolled her eyes behind his back and walked down the stairs. 'That was a load of help.'

Sakura went downstairs to where she heard her mother's soft laughter. "Mom…?" She called.

"What is it?" Her mother asked returning her call. Kagome's head turned away from the tv to look at her daughter. When she noticed a concerned look on her daughter's face, she pressed the power button on the remote to turn the television off.

"Mom, I have a question." Sakura began. Kagome waited for Sakura to continue, but she had a feeling of apprehension. "Why am I different?" Kagome froze, her apprehension growing and twisting inside her gut. She expected this day to come. She knew it was going to happen soon eventually, but was disappointed it came too soon. Kagome feared that her daughter would take this to a level that caused anger and confusion.

"What do you mean? You're not different." Kagome spoke softly, cautiously awaiting the fated argument.

"Yes, I am. Look at my hair!" Sakura yelled in frustration.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at her daughter's tone. "Don't you talk to me with that temper, young lady!" By this time Kagome was standing and looking down at her daughter. Sakura growled and realized what she had just done. After muttering her apologies, Kagome calmed down and inwardly cursed herself for losing control.

"Sakura, before you were born, I wasn't normal. Actually...to tell you the truth, I'm no where close to being normal anymore."

"I'm not following, Mom. What do you mean by not normal?" Sakura sat down on the couch and watched as her mother remained standing.

"Follow me I have to show you something." Kagome held out her hand to guide her daughter to her room. Sakura grasped her mother's hand with no hesitation. As they walked into her mother's room she followed her mother until she was in front of a closet.

"Seventeen years ago, when I was fifteen. I was on my way to school when my brother was looking for our cat." Kagome explained as she opened the closet and dug around for something that Sakura couldn't make out from all the shoe boxes and baskets that cluttered the closet floor.

"You mean the fat cat that died when I was six years old." Sakura giggled as she remembered pictures of the said cat lazying about on her mother's bed.

"Yes." Kagome giggled at her daughter. "Well as I was saying, he was looking for him. So I went to go help him find our cat and it turns out he was in the well house." Kagome paused when she noticed Sakura was slightly discomforted when she mentioned the well. Sakura never went around the building, but Kagome never understood why.

"Ah ha! Here it is!" Kagome pulled out a large square box that looked slightly worn and tarnished. "I will show you the contents of this box in a moment, but first the well house..." Sakura groaned, she knew she was going to have to get over her fear of the well house at some point. Kagome led the way to the well house, but felt a certain twinge of guilt as she was about to turn her daughter's world upside down.

Sakura feared that creepy hut. There was always something that wasn't right about the place. It most certainly gave her the feeling of being in a different world as she passed the closed doors. She would often hear voices beckoning her to open the doors, but she would often run before she could discover anything more.

They were at the well house and that's when Sakura spoke. "You said this was your grandfather's sacred place for his spiritual junk."

"I lied." Kagome replied. She opened the doors and revealed an old well. "He said when I was fifteen that this well had mystical powers. Our ancestors called it the bone eaters well." Kagome walked into the old well house and grabbed a weathered broom, she swept up all the cob webs and dirt that laid on the steps and on the ground.

"So how does this relate to how I'm different?" Sakura questioned.

Kagome finished sweeping and began to answer, "When I found Buyo, I heard a long blast come from behind me. It was a huge centipede demon. These demons are not those little red imps called devils, if you're thinking that!" Sakura nodded slowly then moved to where her mother was stationed.

"I was dragged down into the well by the demon. It talked to me too." Kagome looked up at the ceiling trying to remember. "It said something like this, 'I want the jewel where's the sacred jewel.' "The jewel is called the Sacred Jewel of four souls. Known as the Shikon no Tama. The four souls were Aramitama, which meant courage. Nigimitama which means friendship, Kushimitama means wisdom and Sakimitama which is love." Kagome paused and remembered that Aramitama was Inuyasha, Nigimitama was Sango, Kushimitama was Miroku and Sakimitama was her. Together they were the jewel of four souls. Kagome missed them but didn't want openly to admit it yet. It was a sort of denial that caused her to go back to the past and regret a lot of things.

"Anyways, the jewel was entrusted to me to be its guardian. My job was to protect the jewel from evil. That's when I noticed that I was 500 years into the past." Kagome lead Sakura to the sacred tree. "That is how I met a half demon named, Inuyasha. He was pinned to this tree by a sacred arrow, used by spiritual people like priestess'. I am a priestess, Sakura."

"So wait, what happened to the mutated centipede?" Sakura asked in confusion. This was a lot to take in and she wasn't sure if she could take in anymore. The facts just didn't seem real. Demons? Was her mother ill or something.

"I kind of attacked it. I told it to go away, then this light came out from my hands. Then the centipede was gone and I climbed out of the well. This time I was shocked to see that I didn't climb back out to my time. As I said before, I was 500 years into the past, in feudal Japan." Sakura oh'ed and told her mom to go on to what happened next.

"Well I walked until I was in the forest. I then saw Inuyasha pinned to a tree. He wasn't dead, but was under a spell. See, this is a sacred tree. If you shoot an arrow at it and pin a person to the tree they will be taken into a spell, unless someone breaks the spell they will awake."

"So lemme guess. You broke the spell off Inuyasha?" Sakura obviously stated. This sounded like some sort of cliche fairy tale.

"Yes, but I'm going to explain in detail, since there are still important piece s of information you need to know." Kagome explained, but smiled at her daughter's persistence.

"Fine." Sakura retorted.

"When I was checking if Inuyasha was alright I was spotted by some villagers and a priestess named Kaede. They tied me up and took me as hostage, probably because of my weird high school uniform." Kagome paused taking a deep breath as she could feel her throat drying up from all the talking. "I was at their village and told them my story, they believed it and untied me. They also explained some information about Inuyasha. They said that he was a malicious half demon that was seeking for the sacred jewel. At this time I wasn't born yet but, the guardian was another priestess named Kikyo." Kagome shuddered from the mention of her name.

"Kikyo met Inuyasha and threatened that if he dares to go near the jewel he shall die! Kikyo knew that Inuyasha would eventually go for the jewel, so she kept a close eye on him."

"But one day they fell in love and Kikyo wanted Inuyasha to become human, so she told him to come in the morning and she will turn him into a human with the sacred jewel." Sakura felt really anxious about what happened next so Kagome again continued."But evil lurked and Kikyo found a bandit injured with two broken legs, and pitied his severe injuries. The bandits name was Onigumo. Onigumo lusted for Kikyo and as well wanted to gain the power of the jewel. So when Kikyo left, Onigumo was devoured by countless demons. Then became the evil demon, Naraku. Naraku is a demon that doesn't care about killing people. Anybody who stood in his way for the sacred jewel, died."

"Naraku set Inuyasha and Kikyo against each other in minutes. All he had to do was make Kikyo think that Inuyasha betrayed her and vice versa. So he disguised himself as Inuyasha and injured Kikyo for the jewel. He took the jewel and put it back for the real Inuyasha to get in Kikyo's hut. So he disguised himself as Kikyo and went after Inuyasha.

By this time the real Inuyasha was at the place where he'd meet Kikyo. So he waited there and five minutes later, he decided to leave. But before he could leave, Naraku whom was disguised as Kikyo, shot arrows at him but missed on purpose. Instantly, Inuyasha thought Kikyo betrayed him and so he attacked the village and stole the jewel from Kikyo's hut. Then he ran off with it back to the forest. But before he ran away, the real Kikyo shot Inuyasha against the sacred tree and put him in a deep spell."

"After Kikyo did that, she knew that she was dying so she told her younger sister, Kaede, to burn her body with the jewel. That is when Kikyo collapsed to the ground and was pronounced dead. The villagers burned her body and the jewel as that was her final wish."

"That is the story of how Inuyasha and Kikyo were set against each other."

"Now, the story of how I set Inuyasha free. Again the centipede demon came back and terrorized the village and it was after me so I ran as fast as I could, yelling for help. That is how Inuyasha broke free of the spell. When I reached the sacred tree, I saw him awake, but still pinned to the tree by Kikyo's arrow. He called to me, to remove the arrow from his chest, but before I was going to do exactly that; the demon attacked my side and took a chunk of my skin out to get to the jewel. Since the jewel was implanted in me that is."

"So the centipede swallowed the jewel and then wrapped me against the tree with its body. I was now against Inuyasha. So I removed the arrow and broke the spell. Inuyasha then killed the centipede demon with his claws. By that time Kaede was there and saw the jewel in the centipede. So she went to get it and then she purified it again. Kaede gave the jewel back to me, shocked that the jewel indeed was back in the feudal era."

"That is when Inuyasha demanded the jewel or else he would kill me. So I said, 'No I will not give you the jewel.' Inuyasha flexed his claws at me and began to try and attack. But I kept dodging his attacks."

"I ran onto a nearby bridge and heard Kaede took out a magical beaded necklace and chanted some words that made the necklace fly onto Inuyasha's neck. Kaede then yelled for me to say a trigger word then I looked at Inuyasha and he was ready to spring at me. So...I decided since he's a dog demon I'll say, Sit!"

"So whenever you say sit he does...?" Sakura asked.

"He would crash to the ground and make a crater beneath him." Kagome answered. Sakura was laughing her head off at this. "You're kidding?" She asked.

Kagome shook her head then smiled.

"Ok...I'm done. Keep explaining." Sakura giggled some more but composed herself as her mother continued her tale.

"So as I carried the jewel, demons were after me. I was kidnapped a day later by perverted guys. So I was wearing a skirt and they would try to take a 'sneak peak' but I would of course not let them. So Inuyasha came to the rescue only for the jewel because I was holding it."

"Ha, of course right? Only for the jewel. What a jerk!" Sakura shouted.

"That's what I thought too!" Kagome smiled.

"Anyways what happened next?" Sakura asked excitedly.

"A bird demon, like a crow except with three eyes, stole the jewel and swallowed it." Kagome explained instantly.

"Mom! How could you be so careless?" Kagome put her hands up in defense muttering that she was fifteen and was still clueless about how that world worked.

"Then we went after it and Inuyasha gave me a bow and arrow and said to shoot the bird with it. I told him that I could not shoot an arrow if my life depended on it. Then Inuyasha said if Kikyo did it then I could do it, because I am Kikyo's reincarnation."

"So I tried and missed, then we kept following the bird with Inuyasha carrying me on his back. Then I saw a kid drowning in the river, so I saved the kid by diving into the river and swimming over to them. I saved the boy and then took a bow and arrow from a guy and shot the stupid bird."

"That's when trouble began?" Sakura guessed. "I've seen too many movies, that's how I know when trouble starts and junk."

Kagome nodded then explained what else had happened. "Well when I shot the bird I got it but I also cracked the jewel open. Million of tiny lights shot out of the bird and flew all across feudal Japan."

"I stand by what I said before. How could you be so careless?" She asked bewildered by her mothers clumsy habit.

Kagome just shrugged. "Just give me a break. I didn't know how to aim at first, it was meant to happen."

"Feh, whatever." Sakura replied. Kagome was taken back by the reply. 'That's Inuyasha's feh...' Shaking herself out of her daze she remember that she had a story to finish.

"That is how we met Shippo, a little kid fox demon who could transform into stuff. Then we met a lecherous monk whose favourite line was 'would you bear my child' to every beautiful women he saw."

"Really?" Sakura laughed. Kagome again just nodded.

"Then we met Sango a demon slayer with a cute adorable demon cat named Kirara."

"They all had the same story about Naraku tricking them or casting a curse on them."

"Before we killed Naraku, which was when we had traveled far across Japan and made more friends, Kikyo was resurrected by an evil witch named, Urasue. Whenever Inuyasha sensed that Kikyo was around, he would run after her. But every time he did that, he kept breaking my heart!"

"You fell in love with Inuyasha?" Sakura asked bewildered by the fact.

Kagome nodded, feeling tears of rage gather in her eyes.

"Kikyo was still alive after we killed Naraku, but she disappeared after a while. Then one night Inuyasha turned full demon because of the jewel. I told him not to use it to become a full fledged demon and that he was fine the way he was. But he didn't listen and went too far!"

"He showed his lust towards me and..." Kagome was stopped when Sakura started to finish her sentence.

"That's how I was born? You probably sealed up the well so he couldn't come to your era anymore. Then I was born...and you tell me this now?"

"Yes. I know I should have told you a bit sooner." Kagome regretted.

"Just a bit? All these years I thought my father died in a car accident and now you tell me he's living, but 500 years in the past." Sakura cast her head down and tears started to drop down her cheeks and fall down onto the ground. "How could you?"

"Sakura, I didn't mean to, I just didn't want to hurt you!" Kagome explained placing her hand on her daughters shoulder. Sakura shook her mother's hand off of her and replied, "how would you hurt me? I would be sad but I would've gotten over it eventually. Just like I'm eventually going to get over this."

"I guess you could say that I just didn't want to tell you, because I didn't want to feel hated by you!" Kagome knew how her daughter must hate her now.

"Hated? I wouldn't hate you if you said that. Sure I would've been mad but never hate. But now I don't know who I am and I'm a freak of nature!" Sakura got up and was going to run when her mother stopped her.

"I'm like that too, Sakura. I know how it feels! Don't you dare make it look like I don't know how it feels..to have never had a choice." Kagome placed her hand on Sakura's head and a blue and pink glowing light surrounded them. When Kagome finished with Sakura, she then took the spell off herself. Sakura's eyes widened when she noticed two appendages on top of her mother's head. Two black dog ears twitched and her once chocolate brown eyes were now a dark blue.

Sakura could feel something moving on the top of her head. She touched the appendages that were like her mother's and gave a loud squeal of fright. She quickly brought her hands down, but not without catching a glimpse of her nails, which elongated into sharp claws. The other thing that caught her off guard was when her tongue passed over something sharp in her mouth. Sakura cautiously ran her tongue over the offending sharp object and found that her canines were now sharp fangs.

"Now you know..." Kagome looked at her daughter with sadness. Kagome looked down at the box she was still holding. She opened it and showed her daughter the pictures of the friends she mentioned. "I will take you to see him, but you have to promise me that you won't go near him! I don't want anything happening to you!" Kagome calmed down and saw that Sakura as well calmed down a bit.

"Fine." Sakura answered. Kagome placed the box on the stairs before she walked over to the well and re-opened it to go back 500 years in the past.

Sakura looked down into the well, but before she got the chance to say something, Kagome had jumped down into the well disappearing into a blue light at the bottom. Sakura looked back towards the box on the stairs and then back to the bottom of the well.

This was it. There was no going back now, her mother made sure of that by jumping down the well first. Sakura propped herself onto the lip of the well and jumped down bracing for impact. But she felt nothing but airlessness. She could see her mother floating at a farther distance in front of her. When the light disappeared, she could feel her feet slowly touch the ground again. Looking up to expect a familiar roof, she was surprised to see a bright blue sky.

* * *

><p>So that is the first chapter revised. I tried not to change too much, only some things that needed to be changed. We all know the history of Kagome's journey, but the history needed to be shared in depth instead of saying, "Kagome told her daughter everything about her past, including how Sakura was born. The end." No no no...that's the easy way out!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Our Little Secret

Chapter 2: Meeting Father

Previously: Blue-pink lights engulfed their surroundings taking them 500 years into the past.

Kagome leaped out of the well so she could help her daughter out of the old well. Kagome blinked looking around. Everything was the same, since she left. The lush grass swayed in the light breeze. She could smell an old scent that made her stomach turn from her nerves. 'What would she have for an excuse?' Sakura noticed how tense her mother was acting. Kagome reached far enough into the well to pull her daughter up and once Sakura was out she put a reassuring hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Mom, don't worry." Sakura felt her mother's tense shoulders loosen.

"Thanks." Her mother replied. "Sakura, please when we see him, don't go and hug him right away."

The girl looked up and frowned. "I understand what you're trying to say."

Kagome smiled softly. When they walked past the sacred tree, they stopped. "Hey, this is the same tree we have back home." Kagome looked at the tree. 'So many years have passed, since I saved him.'

Flash Back

Kagome ran into Inuyasha's forest. 'Thanks Miroku. I promise someday I will come back. Inuyasha how could you do this to me.' Tears made her eyes become blurry. She went to take a leap for the well, when she tripped over an uprooted tree root. She got up with weak arms, 'please keep them safe, Kami. I won't be here to restrain Inuyasha with the prayer beads.' As she got up, she felt a heavy weight drop on her to make her fall down again. She looked up, Inuyasha?

"You thought you got away, wench. However, you failed the attempt. You shall pay!" Inuyasha drew back his arm then slapped the girl in the face. She cried in pain. His claws scratched her smooth skin. "Get off of ME!" She cried. Blue lights exploded out of her hands, sending the hanyou across the clearing and into a sturdy tree. Kagome got up in a hasty leap then jumped into the well still holding onto the jewel shards.

End of Flash back

The words kept repeating in her head, 'You thought you got away, wench. However, you failed the attempt. You shall pay!' The tears threatened to drip down her jaw, but were wiped away before they had the chance to. 'He raped me. He deserves to go to hell!' Of smelling the salty smell on Kagome, Sakura embraced her mother trying to comfort her from the pain and sorrow her father brought upon her. They kept walking until they reached Kaede's hut. Everything there was the same as well.

Kagome sniffed the hanyou's scent in there, before she stepped in. Inuyasha beat her to it. His eyes widened in surprise not noticing the sixteen year old behind Kagome. "Ka-Kagome..." He was surprised to say the least as he stared at the woman who was once his best friend long ago.

Kagome's face stayed impassive, revealing no emotion to the man clad in his usual red haori and hakamas. Inside she wanted to run and cry, but she had to do this for Sakura. She needed to stay strong.

His hair had grown longer and duller. Nevertheless, he's still that selfish, rude, arrogant, hotheaded, loud mouth, ruthless hanyou she met when she was fifteen.

"It's about time you showed up, after I tried to break through the spell you cast on the well."

Kagome narrowed her eyes. "You haven't changed one bit I see! They say time changes people, well that's a load of shit isn't it?"

"Feh." Inuyasha crossed his arms and looked away in disdain.

"Mom, is that him? Is that father?" Sakura peeped up from behind Kagome to stand beside her.

Inuyasha was surprised to hear another female voice in the room and one that was quiet and sweet. 'Just how Kagome's voice used to be.'

'Me? Her father? Impossible!' Inuyasha's mind reeled at the possibility of this girl being his.

"Yes." Kagome's eyes met Inuyasha's in an instant. Inuyasha's mouth gaped open. How could this be?

Inuyasha stepped back scared to think that was his daughter. 'She looked so much like him!' The silver hair, eyes and ears, there was nothing that resembled Kagome.

Sakura looked up at the tall figure. She still stayed at bay from him. She had to admit, she was scared. Scared of her father, and scared of this place!

'What do I say?' There was complete silence for five minutes. No one dared to move. Kagome noticed the tension hang thick in the air. Sakura fidgeting with her two index fingers. Inuyasha got annoyed when both females kept there gaze on him.

"So kid, got a name or what?" Inuyasha spit out.

Sakura looked up into his identical amber orbs. "…"

Kagome looked down at her as if reminding her that she still hadn't said anything. Sakura gave a deep breath before answering her father. "Saku-r-r-a."

Inuyasha nodded, approving the name. She didn't get it, her father was nothing like her mom mentioned.

"Now you know that you have a daughter, we're going!" Sakura looked at her mother frightened.

"What you can't just leave! I won't allow it!" Inuyasha stepped forward to protest.

Kagome frowned. "We only came here to make sure that both of you knew that the other existed. We didn't come here to have tea and talk about old times." Kagome grabbed Sakura's arm and walked out of the hut, pushing the fabric that hung on the door.

Inuyasha ran up to Kagome and grabbed her by the arm, "Kagome, wait..."

Kagome froze. Dropping her hold on her daughter, she turned around to glare at Inuyasha. "Get your hand off of me," Inuyasha bore his gaze into her dark blue ones. "Now."

"I can't let you go, not yet. Not after waiting for you for sixteen years. I-"

"You waited for what Inuyasha? For me to come back crying to you? For me to come back like I used to, bringing supplies and food. You waited for me all this time thinking that things would just go back to normal after what you did to me!" Inuyasha's ears drooped down to his head, ashamed of himself he released his grip on Kagome.

"You know that I wasn't in control." Inuyasha clenched his fists in frustration.

"That's besides the point. I warned you, I was your best friend and you didn't listen. You never cared and you still don't!" Kagome looked over to her daughter, but Sakura wasn't there. Kagome whipped around searching for her daughter and caught her running into Inuyasha's forest.

"Oh now look what you've done!" Kagome accused at the male half demon.

"Me? I wasn't the one was shouting!" Inuyasha yelled, defending himself as Kagome scoffed and ran after her daughter.

"Sakura!" Kagome was steadily catching up to her daughter, following her scent into the depths of the forest.

"Leave me alone!" Sakura pumped her legs to move faster as she looked behind her to see her mother catching up. She wasn't looking where she was going though as she ran into something solid, making her lose her balance and falling to the ground.

She rubbed her head from the impact. "Ow. Must have ran into a tree or something." She got up to dust herself off when she felt something pick her up by the back of her shirt. "Ah, let me go!"

She glared at the thing that dared to pick her up like some doll. She caught the sight of what she thought was a demon, and started screaming. "What is that thing?"

"Sakura, hold on!" Kagome panicked as she watched her little girl being picked up by a porcupine demon.

"A half demon, not what I wanted, but it will have to do." The porcupine demon growled and sniffed the girl, his red eyes looking over Sakura in hungry anticipation.

"What! You're going to eat me?" Sakura shouted as she tried to squirm away from the demon's face.

"Let her go or I'll purify you into an oblivion!" Kagome threatened as she took her fighting stance in front of the demon.

"It must be my lucky day! Two female half-breeds. I will make sure to devour you both!" Kagome ran at the demon as he was about to strike her daughter with his claws. Kagome rammed her body into the demon causing him to lose his balance and to drop her daughter on the ground unceremoniously. The demon roared in rage and picked himself up, launching himself at the older half demon. "You'll pay for that, bitch!"

She scrambled to her feet as she saw her mother fall from a back hand attack to the face. "Mom!"

"Sakura...run!" Kagome struggled to get herself off the ground as she felt her body being picked up by a clawed hand.

"No, not without you!" Sakura was about to charge at the porcupine, but the porcupine turned around and shot its quills at her in a fury. "Ah!"

She waited for the attack to pierce her, but a red and blue blur blocked the attack for her. When the blurs stopped moving they revealed a tall, handsome demon with long auburn hair in a high ponytail and a sleek tail that whipped aggressively as he moved. He wore blue hakamas and a black haori. A black sash was tied firmly around his waist with a strapped katana to his hip. His azure eyes flickered to the demon holding Kagome.

"Picking on woman are we, demon?" He accused roughly in a deep voice.

"A fox demon comes to the aid of two inu half demons? How noble." The demon roared in laughter at the display of heroics.

"Let her go and maybe I'll spare your pathetic life!"

The demon chuckled. "What makes you think you can defeat me, the Great Rishu?"

"This." The handsome demon smirked and took out two leaves from his haori.

"Multiply!" He shouted and a series of blasts popped into the air. Before the smoke could clear in the area, three identical versions of the red headed demon sprinted out of the smoke and attacked the porcupine simultaneously.

Rishu growled as he cast his 'lunch' away to defend himself. He curled up into a ball and transformed into a larger demon. Rishu grew until his body was taller than the trees. His head craned back as he laughed at the surprised look on the fox demon's face. Rishu jumped into the air and curled back into a ball. Before his large body dropped to the ground, the clones raced to the girls and carried them away. Rishu's body collided with the ground in an earth shattering 'boom' as he started to roll after the trio. Taking down trees and leaving behind rubble as he chased them.

Shippo ran in the middle as his clones were carrying the girls on either side of him.

"What do we do now?" Sakura asked as she looked behind the clone to see that Rishu was gaining on them.

"Haven't thought that far yet!" The fox demon didn't look at her as he kept running.

Kagome stared at the fox demon, she had a feeling she knew him, but she couldn't quite put her finger on how she knew him.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha heard the 'boom' from his perch in a tree in the village. He scanned the area he heard it from and growled when he saw a large prickly ball tear down the forest.

Inuyasha unsheathed his sword and began to run in the direction of the demon. He couldn't help feel like Kagome and Sakura had something to do with this.

When he noticed Kagome and Sakura carried by two clones of a fox demon he mentally sighed in relief. "Oi, can't even kill a porcupine demon, runt?"

Kagome gasped. It was Shippo. "Shippo?"

"Hey Kagome." Shippo smirked at her. "I can see you're still attracting trouble like always!"

Kagome crossed her arms, and playfully hit the clone in the arm. "I hope you felt that."

"Haha, nope." Shippo looked back to Inuyasha, who stood at the edge of the forest with his sword on his shoulder. "Looks like we gotta split for a moment, Kags." Before she could protest, Kagome was being carried towards the well and away from the oncoming demon. Sakura was carried to the left far away from Rishu and Shippo jumped high into the trees to take his fighting stance beside Inuyasha.

Inuyasha wasted no time after he made sure everyone was clear from his path. Before Rishu was able to get any closer to them, Inuyasha brought down his sword and shouted, "Wind Scar!"

The attack engulfed the enormous demon and blasted him into pieces with a final roar of anguish.

"What do they teach you at that place? How to dance with demons?" Inuyasha laughed at Shippo.

"I was doing fine until you came along." Shippo looked at Inuyasha crossing his arms.

"Yeah I could see that, you were leading that thing straight to the village." Inuyasha shouted, shaking his head at the young demon.

"Whatever, at least Kagome and the other girl are safe." As if on cue, the clones appeared with Kagome and Sakura in their arms and set them down. Once Kagome and Sakura were safely on the ground, Shippo summoned the two leafs back into his hands as the clones disappeared with a 'pop'.

"Shippo! I can't believe it's really you! You've grown so much! Look at you!" Kagome ran over to the fox demon in glee hugging him tightly.

"Good to see you back, Kagome!" Shippo grinned as he returned the embrace.

Inuyasha looked on in jealousy. That was supposed to be him getting the hugs, not the damn kit. He looked over at his daughter who was watching the scene with confusion and amusement. He was glad she was safe and out of harms way at least.

"Would someone explain what's going on here?" Inuyasha demanded.

Kagome and Shippo broke from their friendly hug and looked back at Inuyasha.

"It's my fault, I ran away and got us into trouble. That demon wouldn't have attacked if I hadn't run away in the first place. I'm sorry for causing chaos." Sakura apologized, her ears flattened against her head as she kicked the ground awkwardly.

"Sweetie, it's not your fault! It's mine, I shouldn't have argued with Inuyasha in front of you." Kagome walked over to her daughter sweeping her into a hug and kissing the top of her head.

"So, who's this, Kagome?" Shippo asked curiously as he quickly looked the newcomer over quickly.

"Oh, forgive me, Shippo. This is my daughter, Sakura." He caught Sakura's honey eyes gazing into his own and he had to look away before blushing like a lovestruck teenager. Sakura had a similar reaction, except she preferred to look down at her shoes and blush. Kagome noticed their reactions and couldn't help but giggle inwardly.

Inuyasha felt like he wanted to tear the kit's head off. That was his daughter. "What the hell are you doing here, Shippo?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped at his rudeness.

"I was coming back for a visit when I came across Kagome and Sakura being attacked. And it's a good thing I did or else these two would have been lunch." Shippo countered back at the male hanyou.

"Feh." Inuyasha sheathed his sword and retreated to sit up in one of the trees that weren't knocked down from the battle.

"Come on, Shippo let's go to Kaede's place and you can tell me what you've been doing for the past sixteen years." Kagome urged as she dragged the fox demon back towards the village with her daughter.

It was getting late when they arrived at the front of Kaede's house. Kagome peeled back the fabric to see if Kaede was inside. She noticed the back of an old woman and knocked lightly. "I'm sorry to intrude, but is Kaed-" Kagome didn't get to finish as Kaede turned her body to look at her. She looked a lot older. She looked over the elder woman, her face wrinkled and worn from years of experience and maturity.

"Aye, child what ails you?" Kaede stood slowly from her seat on the floor.

"Well, nothing really. I'm just dropping by after sixteen long years." Kagome smiled warmly at the elder woman, hoping that she could jog her memory.

Kaede was taken back as she squinted her eyes at Kagome. This half demon claimed to be the Lady Kagome? "It's me Lady Kaede. Kagome!" Just as she said this Shippo and Sakura entered the hut beside Kagome.

"Ah, Kagome…and Shippo as well!" Kaede smiled at the now older form of Kagome. She looked different from Kikyo now, especially now that she was a half demon.

"Long time, no see!" Kaede managed to finish before Kagome rushed over and squeezed the day lights out of her. "Ca-n't br-ea-th, Ka-go-me…"

Kagome widened her eyes and quickly apologized to the elder woman, "Sorry Kaede, forgot my own strength." Kaede just shook her head, chuckling her hoarse voice.

"So how are Miroku, Kirara, and Sango?" Kagome glanced around the room. It was just how she left it. The memories of sitting around the fire and talking with her old friends made her smile, but when she looked back at Kaede, she wasn't smiling. Kagome panicked, 'Oh no! What happened?'

Kaede looked at Shippo, sharing a look of sadness before glancing down at the floor after feeling Kagome's attention on her.

"Miroku was killed by the wind tunnel a few years after ye left. He was eaten alive by the curse Naraku cast upon his family!"

Kagome crumpled to the floor smashing her fists against the floorboards. "Miroku…I prayed for all of you to stay well in this era, please forgive me!" Kagome cried. When they had killed Naraku, the curse was not lifted off of the poor monk. They had all thought that he would be set free from Naraku at the time, but they were once again fooled. 'Poor Miroku...'

"We had a proper burial for him. He was at his Master Moushin's when this occurred." Shippo informed as he consoled Kagome.

"Sango and Kirara are at their demon slayer's village recruiting new members of demon slayers as well as villagers." Kaede poured each of them and herself some tea while Shippo spoke.

"As for me, I'm living not too far from here. I'm at a training institute for fox demons. I cannot say exactly where it is because it is forbidden for outsiders to know the location." Kagome frowned and wiped away the tears, but was glad that Shippo was able to carry on with his wishes to become stronger.

"Well before we leave, we will go see Sango and Kirara." Kagome finished off. Kaede set the last cup of tea down in front of Sakura and gave a curious expression. Sakura tensed, she didn't like all this attention anymore.

"Aye, Kagome. This young half demon, she is ye daughter?" Kagome smiled and nodded her head, "Yes, Sakura is my daughter." Shippo listened intently as this new information now answered some of his questions. 'So that's why she looks and smells like him.'

"Inuyasha told me what he did the day you left. Forgive me for speaking about this, but what do you plan to do now that Inuyasha knows about Sakura?"

Kagome sighed as she took a sip of her tea, "To be honest Keade, my daughter has the right to know who her father is and why she is a half demon. We've spent sixteen years in my time, covered with concealment charms. The concealment charms could not take away the essence of what Sakura was because I was and I'm still not strong enough." Kagome clenched her fists, "However, I can't stay. Not with Inuyasha here."

Kaede nodded in understanding. "I respect ye wishes child."

"Thank you, Kaede. I'm glad I was able to see you again!" Kagome gave Kaede another hug, but this time she was careful to be gentle.

"Oh and Kagome, ye may ride our trained horses for the journey." Kagome tensed. Last time she rode a horse, she was bucked off!

"Um…I think I'll just use my demonic powers instead, but thanks for the offer."

"You accompanying them Shippo?" Kaede questioned him. Shippo smirked and nodded triumphantly,

"Someone's gotta look after these troublemakers." Sakura rolled her eyes at his last remark.

"Coming from a troublemaker himself, hardly." Inuyasha interrupted as he walked over to them. "Feh, you're going to see them aren't you?" Kagome froze. Kagome looked at him with no interest in continuing the conversation.

"Inuyasha leave!" Kagome sneered.

"No I will not, wench. You are not going to visit Sango! You're staying here with me!"

"What an idiot..." Shippo muttered to Sakura.

Sakura only giggled. "Were they always like this?"

"I want to say yes, but Kagome looks far scarier now than she did sixteen years ago." Shippo whispered back.

"Is that so?" Kagome asked. "SIT!" Kagome ran off followed by Shippo and Sakura in the direction of the demon slayer's village. Inuyasha on the other hand was out cold in the huge crater.

Kaede watched this from her hut then shook her head at the unconscious hanyou.

"So, how long is this going to take to get to the village?" The girl asked.

"A couple of days, but we'll rest along the way when we get tired." Kagome kept walking with her eyes closed. "It's been sixteen years since I've been here. I'm surprised that I haven't gotten lost yet." Sakura smiled.

"Tell me about the adventures you had here!" Sakura insisted. Kagome sighed, most of them were with Inuyasha. She did not want to talk about him. "Well, I'll start with how we met Sango…"

Before long, Shippo came back from scouting the area for danger and informed the girls that he had found a safe spot to set up camp for the night. They built a fire quickly using Shippo's fox magic and laid down the mats that Kaede supplied them with before they had left the village. Once Shippo was sure that Kagome and Sakura had fallen asleep, he stationed himself against a tree and closed his eyes to meditate.

The next morning came by fast as Shippo felt a nearby presence assault his senses. He nudged the girls awake as he felt the demon heading for them at a fast pace.

Kagome growled, she could also smell the scent of a demon. In the distance, a miniature tornado headed there way. Kagome sighed, 'uh oh.' The tornado dissipated as the wind settled down around them. Kagome could feel herself lifted into the arms of Kouga. Kouga looked down at the grown woman, she had dog ears on top of her head, fangs, and claws. "You smell like Kagome, you are…"

"A half demon, I know. If you're wondering how, it was after an incident occurred." Kagome spoke truthfully. Kouga was confused, 'What incident? Did Inuyasha do this to her?'

"What incident?" Kouga questioned.

"I'd rather not talk about it! If that's okay." Kagome hid her face behind her bangs. Kouga clenched his fists in anger. "It was that mutt, wasn't it Kagome!"

"…uh…" Sakura just stood there dumbfounded.

"Anyone mind telling me what's going on here?" When two men came running up on the dirt path huffing and puffing, Sakura remembered her mom telling her about the wolf demon tribe yesterday. Kouga was their leader and Hakkaku and Ginta were his comrades.

"Let me guess you're Kouga, and those two are Ginta and Hakkaku?" Kouga looked up at the girl not noticing she was there before.

"Who's that?" He asked.

"She's not a thing, Kouga." Struggling out of his arms to go introduce Sakura. "She is my daughter, Sakura." Kouga just about fainted, 'daughter?' 'Did Kagome, his intended, have a mate?'

"Kagome whoever dared to mate you without my knowledge will be ripped to shreds!" Kouga flexed his claws ready for the person to appear. However, there was no person to pop out for him to kill. Kagome shook her head in protest. "Was it you, runt!" Kouga grabbed the front of Shippo's shirt and glared at him accusingly.

"He's not my mate, Kouga." Kouga sighed inwardly in relief, but that could only mean...

"Did he force you?" Kouga asked concerned.

"I told you I don't want to talk about it!" Kagome said.

Kouga took that answer as a 'yes'. "Sorry Kagome. I am just concerned." His eyes flared. "I told you that you're my woman and I will always protect you!"

"Kouga, I'm sorry I just can't talk about this right now. We're off to go see Sango if you want to come along."

"Sorry Kagome, but I'm heading back to the den. I haven't seen them in a week. They'll think I ditched my duties as leader if I don't get back to them by tomorrow."

"Oh, ok. I guess i'll see ya around then Kouga-kun!" Kagome smiled kindly as Kouga grabbed her hands in his and kissed them before running off. Ginta and Hakkaku groaned in unison as their leader was once again running off without warning.

Sango sat down on the steps of her hut examining the person's movements. This guy was out of his mind to be trying out to be a demon slayer. He had no swordsmanship or experience with any other weapons. No tricks, or back up plans for battle. He's plain useless. When she told him 'next', he sighed in defeat.

She got up from where she presently sat, hearing a lot of commotion at the front gates. "You are not allowed here, demon!" Sango heard this and got her boomerang ready. When she was able to see who was there she screamed and dropped her weapon.

"Kami...Kagome! Shippo!" Kagome looked in the direction of her name being screamed. She pushed everyone out of the way and hugged Sango. "Oh my god, you've grown! Look at you, you're beautiful." Sango examined the girl.

Kagome blushed. "Thanks, you too! You don't look a day over twenty-five!" Sango smacked Kagome's arm jokingly as she hugged the girl once more.

"Who's this?" Sango asked. Kagome smiled. "That would be Sakura, my daughter."

Sango realized. "Inuyasha..."

Sakura was confused. Her mother and Sango were talking in incomplete sentences and it was giving her a headache. "Mom. Please talk in complete sentences, you are giving me a headache." She pleaded. Kagome apologized then started to talk about other things with Sango.

"It is very nice to meet you, Sakura!" Sango embraced the younger girl. "Shippo you better keep an eye on this girl. If she's anything like her mother, she'll be attracting the attention of a lot of men out there!"

Sakura blushed a deep red as her mother's friend just embarrassed herself and Shippo. Shippo blushed as well as he averted his eyes, trying to look at anything but Sakura.

"I did not attract the attention of the men here!" Kagome pouted.

"Oh, don't give me that, Kagome!" Sango laughed.

Sango led them away to her hut to go see Kirara. As Sango walked into the hut, she called to Kirara. "Guess who's here, Kirara!"

Kirara soon came running out from a hall into the main room. She immediately pounced onto Kagome's shoulder's licking and nuzzling her face. "Haha, I missed you too, Kirara!"

"Oh my, she's adorable!" Sakura cooed, as she petted the demon neko on her mother's shoulder.

"Well I'm sure glad Kirara misses me too." Shippo muttered, but soon he was attacked playfully by Kirara. "That's more like it!"

Kirara gave a soft 'mew' in response as she also licked Shippo's face.

"Well, you heard about Miroku right?" Kagome sensed the hurt in Sango's voice.

"It's okay, I already know what happened." Kagome rubbed Sango's back in comfort.

"I guess Kaede told you right?"

Kagome nodded her head. "Yes."

Kirara then grabbed hem of Sakura's jeans and pulled her to the hall where she came from.

"Kirara?" Sakura questioned. She let the neko demon pull her into the hallway towards another room.

"Kirara had kittens. I want you guys to have them. I wasn't sure who to give them to, or if I should just keep them. I'm positive Kirara would be glad to see that her babies are going to live with her friends."

"Sango that's very sweet of you, but I won't be staying very long in this era."

"I thought as much, but keep them anyway. Not many people like demon cats as companions." Sango reassured.

"Thank you." Kagome smiled as Shippo, Sango, and herself followed Sakura and Kirara.

In the room, Sango had warm blankets arranged on the floor to accommodate the kittens and Kirara. Kirara's padded over to her babies and laid down behind them. Four kittens huddled close to each other to keep warm as the four of them peered over them.

"Kirara, they're beautiful!" Shippo commented as he picked up one that was black and had yellow paws and yellow stripes on its tails. He stroked the fur of the small kitten that just managed to fit in his palm perfectly. "I like this little guy, I'll call him Hayate."

"He's the only male in the litter." Sango watched as Shippo cradled Hayate to his chest. Hayate purred in contentment as he snuggled closer to Shippo.

"Aw, he likes you!" Sakura giggled. She was holding one of the kittens that was stark black with only a yellow star on its forehead. "I think I'll call this one Miyu." Sakura watched as the little kitten opened its ruby eyes to stare into her own amber ones. Miyu mew'd happily, seeming to have liked the name itself.

Kagome held the third kitten, but something wasn't right. The kitten was hiccuping every ten seconds.

"I haven't been able to figure out why she's hiccuping like that. She's been hiccuping since she was born."

"I'll take her back to Kaede's and see what she says. I'm not sure what she has either." Kagome petted the kitten gently as she felt the little tremor of its hiccup against her skin. Its fur was identical to Kirara's except instead of black ears, Kibou's ears were plain yellow. Kibou also had black spots instead of stripes for markings on her legs and tails.

"What are you going to name her, mom?" Sakura asked as Miyu started to climb onto her right arm.

"Kibou." Kagome replied. Kibou tried to nuzzle her head deeper into Kagome's hand. A soft giggle escaped Kagome's lips as Kibou opened her eyes slightly and then closed them again.

"That leaves this little one for me to take care of," Sango picked the last kitten up and instead of this cat having different markings, it was identical to Kirara. The only difference that could tell them apart were the eyes. While Kirara's were ruby, the kitten's were icy blue.

"You little one, should be named Aoi." Sango cooed. "What do you think, Kirara?"

Kirara purred in agreement. After holding the kittens they all put them back with Kirara so that they could be fed. Hayate, Miyu, Kibou, and Aoi all gathered towards their mother to be fed.

"Where's Kohaku, I'll go help him with the training." Shippo said as he got up to leave.

"Kohaku, is in the courtyard." Sango retorted. She looked over to Kagome, smiling. "Kohaku is helping me train our warriors that we've recruited. We have a good size group of them since we've been recruiting for nine years now."

"I'm going with Shippo to watch." Sakura said before running to catch up with the fox demon.

"Okay, Sweetie." Kagome waved. "That's amazing! We should go see them all later on today," Kagome praised, returning to the conversation with Sango.

"We should, but you still have to tell me what you've been doing for the last sixteen years." Sango prodded. Kagome laughed and began telling her friend of all the events that happened in her time.

* * *

><p><strong>Second chapter done...way more to go! Yeah! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I think there might me some loose ends that I haven't found yet, but one thing that must be on some of your minds is, Why is Kagome a half demon? And that has something to do with Midoriko in the next few chapters. <strong>

**To those who have read the other version of this story, it is quite different, just because I need to make sure everything makes sense this time haha.**

**Hayate means smooth**

**Miyu mean superior beauty**

**Kibou means hope**

**Aoi means blue**

**Please review! **


	3. Chapter 3

_Our Little Secret_

_Chapter Three: One Step At a Time_

* * *

><p>I'll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom<p>

I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger

I've never known the love of a man

but it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand

There's a boy here in town

says he'll love me forever

who would've thought that forever could be severed

by a sharp knife of a short life

I've had just enough time

If I die young - The Band Pe_rry_

* * *

><p><em>Kagome got up out of bed, making sure that she tiptoed out of Sango's house without waking anyone up. Something was calling to her. Strange voices echoed in her head, chanting something in some old traditional language. She followed the chants as they seemed to get louder as she was growing closer to the place they were coming from. She stopped outside of Midoriko's cave, the barrier was up, but it made an opening large enough for her to fit through so that she wouldn't get purified.<em>

_The chanting echoed even louder than before and she had to strain to walk forward as her ears rang in agony. She inched forward until finally the chanting ceased altogether and she was forced to look at the statue of Midoriko's eternal battle. Kagome went to touch the statues, but she was surprised when they began to move and blasted her away from them._

_Kagome was hurtled into the cave wall as the statues came to life and watched her curiously. Midoriko's face turned towards her and her body merged out from the captivity of the demons' hold. "You have arrived, at last." Midoriko gestured to the place as if it were her own humble abode. "Welcome, Guardian of the Shikon no Tama."_

_Kagome was astounded that no words formed in her mouth and all she could do was stare in bewilderment. Was this some kind of crazy dream_. "Um, thank you." _Kagome looked around the cave._ "Why am I here?"

"You are here, because you are being warned of an inevitable force that will try to harm you. This evil is unlike any other the Jewel has experienced. I was summoned by the past guardians of the Shikon no Tama to help you become stronger so that you will be prepared for this unimaginable foe." _Midoriko knelt down to Kagome's eye level and placed her hand on Kagome's forehead._ "You have the courage and the determination, but I fear that strength and cunning are not in your favour. Please forgive me, Lady Kagome."

"For what-ieahh!"_ Kagome grasped her head when she felt an immense weight crush into her very essence. It was overwhelming and continuous. She thought she could feel her body being pushed back into the cave wall and merging with it. Then suddenly, it stopped. Her eyes opened and she could feel an intense warmth cascade around her body._

"What is this place?" _Kagome reached out to touch a floating stream of pink and gold. She watched as her fingers passed through the stream without feeling anything._

_Midoriko materialized beside her and touched the stream, grabbing it and pulling a piece of it out. It floated indifferently in her hands, and glowed when she chanted something to it._

"What is that?" _Kagome asked, once again she tried to reach out to it and this time she felt something spark inside her._

"This is your abundant supply of spiritual power, quite a large amount you have supplied here."_ Midoriko took another piece of the stream out, but this time she chanted to it and put it back into the stream. The stream glowed and started to spin around them._

"This stream will try to purify you. You must decide whether you will allow it to purify you, or if you will fight it."

"What happens if I try to fight it? Or vice versa?"

"I'm afraid only you can decide what you do. After all, this is your power, you must strike a bond with it in order for it to listen. I imagine you are one to make friends easily."

_Midoriko smiled faintly and began to disappear as Kagome's stream of power began to lash out at her. Kagome dodged the wisps, but dodging them only seemed to make her power angrier in its attempts to purify her. She let the power snap at her fingers, and she could feel the sting of purification tranquilize her in fear. Once again her power lashed out at her and she dodged it, and then it stung her from behind. This went on until her power seemed to get closer to her in an almost friendly gesture._

"Why do you seek to gain our trust?"_ A voice rang out from inside the stream. Kagome was surprised to hear that her powers were talking to her._

"I need your strength."

"For what?"

"To protect. There is a new foe and I need to protect my friends, family, and those who are at risk."

"We do not give our strength for others."

"Not even for our daughter?"

"The babe, who's blood turned us. If you had allowed me to purify it when I had the chance, I wouldn't be laying dormant, while that beast howls and threatens to come out and 'play'.

"Our daughter is the salvation that this world needs. She is the reason why we are brought back to this time of need. The gods have decided to summon us to defeat another foe that threatens our future. Without her we would not be back here. You owe her our very life. She is our life now."

"Courage speaks to us, dipping it's quill into our strength. If beasty lays dormant then what say you?

"Our beast has not lost control yet, it is dormant as we speak."

"Ah, that's where you're wrong. On the outside she sleeps, but here she broods, barks, and whines."

"You're upset because your peace is disturbed?"

"We prefer to be let out."

"If I let you out every once a month, will you lend me your strength."

"Hm, a tempting offer...you have our strength, friend."

"Thank you."

"However, Beasty will want something of equal value for our agreement. I imagine she will want the same freedom. We do not like bloodlust, it is in our greatest interests to leash the mutt from destruction."

"You want control on our beast's freedom?"

"Correct."

"Done. You will be released at the beginning of each month for one day."

"Thank you, Mistress."

"Hm. Now how do I get out of here?" _Kagome pondered as her spiritual energy caressed her skin, soothing and mingling with her body as the river calmed down and started to steadily flow into Kagome's body._

"Beasty was** summoned**?"

"You are my demon counterpart?"

"She calls Beasty, her counterpart?...Curious..._very,_ curious." _Beasty circled Kagome, her primal instincts taking over as she licked her lips._ "And what do I owe my human counterpart for her gracious presence? Power? Strength?...**Blood**?"

"You owe me nothing of the sort." _Kagome sighed. This wasn't going to be exactly easy. Her demonic self didn't like logic, only battle. _"I am searching for a type of mentality that you have,"

"She wants our personality? Beasty stammers? What does she **want**?"

"I want your cunning. Your crafty mind. Your instinctual behaviour that makes you a formidable opponent."

"She compliments Beasty's strategic mentality. What does Beasty get in return. Payment is in **order**."

"What would you prefer?"

"Beasty has a choice? Curious..._very,_ curious." _Beasty sauntered over to Kagome and held her chin in her clawed hand._ "Freedom...and control over_ purity_."

"Very well, you will be freed on the last day of each month for one day. And, you will control purity on the day she has her freedom."

"Beasty likes. Beasty concurs with Mistress. Mistress will have cunning. Mistress will lean on Beasty in fights and Beasty will not remain caged...Beasty will be free, if but for one day. It will suffice Beasty's needs."

"I am glad."

"Beasty forms a bond in which Mistress may communicate with Beasty. Beasty wants to see the outside world through Mistress' eyes."

"You may, but remember freedom for one day each month, and if you don't abide by the agreement. Have mercy on ourselves, as Purity will bid my wishes to deal with you."

"Beasty understands...and shall Beasty bid Mistress' wishes if Purity does not follow."

"You shall." Beasty growled in affirmation. _Beasty watched as Kagome walked over to her. Kagome's hands lifted up to touch Beasty's shoulders. Beasty grudgingly lifted her clawed hand to Kagome's shoulders in return. Kagome pulled Beasty towards her in an embrace and as soon as their bodies made contact, Beasty absorbed herself into Kagome's body_. "Beasty is one with Mistress. Mistress has our trust."

_Kagome gasped at the warm sensation that traveled through her veins and arteries up to her heart. Once she felt the warmth in her heart, she could softly feel the warmth separate through her aorta up into her brain mingling with the oxygen and blood until she could no longer feel the difference in her body. _

_It was as if her beast duplicated her blood to match its own to make them feel like one. Kagome looked up at the spiritual current. What was once steady, was now rapidly circling inside her with vigour and movement. Even the colour changed into a deep gold. No longer was there a separation of power. Kagome watched in amazement as her power supply unified and pulsated to match the beating of her heart. __ Her demon meld into ever inch of her body, filling her with intense spasms of power and bottled energy waiting to be released. It was like she had a non-stop supply of adrenaline built deep in her pores, but controlled and guarded by the part of her that was ruthlessly bidding her time until she was released._

"Well done, Lady Kagome."_ Midoriko's body dissolved into Kagome's power sphere as if she were like one of those hi-tech holograms, except her body looked more concrete than some digital invention. Midoriko was pure magic, of that Kagome was sure. There was no trace of a mike-warrior in her scent, instead Kagome sensed something ethereal and almost heavenly pure about her. Sun-kissed waterfalls and wildflowers among a pastel sunrise glow. Almost tangible to her senses, as if she were in a place where wildflowers grew among a celestial water body under the sun's peaking arms that stretch across the sky. _

"There is something I must bestow upon you, Kagome-sama. The gods have granted you an advantage to ensure that your body can control and store your abundant supply of power. Right now, you are safe, but when battle demands it, your body will call on your power for energy. Your body will do this without your guidance, and that is something that could very well cause you to become severely injured or worse, killed. I say this with a heavy heart, my dear. I wish there was another way, but the Gods have decided to seal your humanity."

"S-seal it away, but what about my-"

"Your miko powers will remain, because they are your natural powers gifted from the Gods when you were created." _Midoriko watched Kagome's eyes widen in shock_, "Time is almost no longer nigh, we must hasten to subdue your humanity, Kagome-sama."

"I do not have a choice in any of this do I?" _Kagome merely whispered as she gave a heavy sigh. Why'd she bother asking that question? When it came to issues in the feudal era, she never had a choice._

"Unfortunately, you do not, but you do get a chance to start over. Rid yourself of the inu blood that runs through your veins, Kagome-sama. Take the blood that is presented to you by the Gods, it will help you on your quest and it will make your 'beasty' sober and trustworthy."

"So why did I strike negotiations with my powers, when I was going to be given new powers anyway?" _Kagome looked at Midoriko imploringly, was she testing her to see if she could control herself or was it just something that didn't need to be done after all._

"Your power is on a different plane than your other counterparts. Your counterparts are the subdued parts of your soul that control your powers, they adapt to the type of power you have regardless. Think of it as three different tiers. There's your spiritual heritage, your demon heritage, and your instinctual heritage. These tiers have a certain amount of power supply that your counterparts are guarding. When your humanoid heritage is incapable of performing your will, either your miko or demonic power will take over. It was crucial to unite both your powers so that your body would not become an internal war zone for these two remaining tiers of power. That is why I said your spiritual and demonic counterparts could very well injure you until death."

"What is exactly is my humanoid heritage?" _All this was very confusing! First she had to combine her powers, now she had to adapt to something that wasn't even give to her by birth. It was just like when she turned into a hanyou. The shock that combined the multiple spasms and agonized screams. 'That was worse than labour.'_ She thought spitefully.

"Well, right now it is deemed as your humanity, but in demonic terms, it is known as your humanoid heritage. Everything from your senses, to your thoughts and moral reasoning, to your emotions. Everything is connected and is what you would call your instinctual heritage. It is crucial for you to know that when you are not in your humanoid form, you are putting yourself in great danger. Because you succumb all your power to the will of your beast. That's right, when your beast takes over, you will transform into the animalia that is hidden within you until your beast is satisfied." _Midoriko could only watch in slight amusement when Kagome's eyes lit up with a slight realization. _"You have seen this done many times no doubt then?"

_Kagome nodded softly. She saw it when Inuyasha was fighting against Sesshoumaru at his father's burial site. Only when those who could control their beasts were able to be in their humanoid form. That's why Inuyasha was not able to transform into a dog. He was never at peace with his demonic blood. Naraku had that advantage, he could easily transform into a spider. It all made sense now. Or rather more sense._

_"_Kagome I know that this is a lot to take in, however, we cannot waste anymore time on explanations. I can only stay here for a certain length of time. After this, I won't be able to visit you again until the next moon cycle when I have more energy. Being dead has its limitations." _She smiled wryly. She mentioned her death half-heartedly, as if it was nothing of importance. _

_Kagome snapped out of her thoughts and focused on Midoriko. _"I am ready."

"Agreed. You have the choice in whatever demon you want to become. Keep in mind that you will be a full fledged demon, nothing in comparison to what you are now." _Kagome pondered on the type of demon she could be. The sky was the limit. Exactly how many mammals were out there today? Billions? She looked at Midoriko in thought and then realized that time was of the essence and her final decision would be needed soon. 'Okay, Kagome think. I could be a cat! Oh, but then I would probably cough up hairballs and be attracted to cat nip.' Kagome knew all too well what Kirara was like on some of their adventures. 'I could be a lioness. Ugh, but that's the same thing as a cat...' This was hopeless she would never figure anything out this way. 'Bat. No. Butterfly. No. Ostrich...now where did that come from?'_

_Then as soon as it entered Kagome's mind, she brightened up and felt confident in the choice she was about to make. She loved this animal since she was a young girl, it was majestic and sometimes independent, but very determined and protective when needed. She was certain that she would be happy with her choice. _"I've made my choice." Midoriko smiled brightly and gave her a little nod in encouragement.

"There's no turning back now, my dear. Close your eyes and picture the type of animal you want to become. Make sure that it is the only animal in your mind. It is crucial that you do this to avoid complications."

_Kagome did as Midoriko instructed and closed her eyes, casting other thoughts aside to only think of this one animal that captured her interests. _

_"_Now, I will do my best to take away as much pain as I can, but I can only do so much because of your powers. Count to ten, Kagome-sama..."

_'One. Two. Three. Fo-urrr. Fa-i—' Kagome drifted off as she watched darkness cover her senses like a thick blanket smothering her into unconsciousness. _

* * *

><p>Kagome walked out of the hut stretching her arms above her head while yawning. She was pleased that her daughter was enjoying herself for the time being.<p>

The pleasant surroundings captivated Kagome as she took in the peaceful beauty of nature. The grass, wet and lush, swayed in the morning breeze. The sun, hiding behind the cumulus clouds.

Kagome walked around the village as she found a nice looking cherry blossom tree. She situated herself under the tree and took in the sweet fragrance that calmed her mind and put her at ease.

She closed her eyes in content, listening to the breeze ruffle the leaves in idle chatter. Kagome twirled her fingers in the blades of the thick grass that also tickled her ankles. She looked down at her ankles in question, her feet were bare and she was wearing her old school uniform. What was going on? She hadn't touched that blasted uniform in fifteen years. As if on cue, the clouds seemed to have grown darker, swelling in pain as rain started to descend onto her head. It began to pour in no time at all, but Kagome just stood under the sakura tree for shelter.

Yips and howls grew in the distance. Her surroundings changed before her eyes and suddenly she was in the middle of a dense forest where the sun was shining again, raindrops glistened off the green leaves, and the ground was sodden and muddy. Kagome began to run away from the growing sounds of canine noises, but no matter how fast she wanted to move, her legs were weighing her down immensely. Time was moving so fast, yet she felt like she was moving untimely slow with each heavy step. Kagome watched in horror as white blurs whipped around her and nudged her harshly aside. They skidded to a top in front of her, blocking her path insistently as they stared her down. And she could hardly believe her eyes. Arctic wolves glared her down in the middle of the spring in a dense forest no less. Kagome heard a long, heavy snort behind her and when she turned around, she was face to face with a large arctic wolf to the comparable size of Kirara.

The large wolf took no time in pouncing on top of her and digging its elongated fangs into her shoulder, growling harshly against the flesh and tissue of muscles that surrounded the bone of her shoulder. Kagome could only feel shocked as time again decided to move too fast for her mind to keep track and the wolf was licking up the wounds and departing back to where it came from. All its wolves following in correspondence, but this time when each wolf passed her they gave a lick to the wound and gave her a sympathetic smile of assurance. She just laid there in shock. She could only feel the slight remembrance of pain and as soon as it came, it was gone. Looking at her shoulder, expecting a large mess of bludgeoned flesh, she was surprised to see a scar slowly fading into an upside down crescent moon. One point of the moon started on the edge of her left shoulder and trailed just above her chest where the other point of the moon prodded at the spot between her neck and shoulder. It reminded her of the cheshire cat's grin oddly enough.

With the shock still embedded in the recesses of her mind, she got up and wobbled a bit until she felt like she could keep her balance on her own. The wolves didn't look like they were coming back, and she wasn't abut to go follow them after that attack. Why did arctic wolves attack her and then lick her wound and...that look of sympathy? What did this all mean?

* * *

><p>"I wonder where my mom is." Sakura thought out loud. Sango over heard this and put a reassuring hand on Sakura's shoulder.<p>

"She's fine. Trust me. Your mother is strong." Sango smiled, but she was also worried for the miko. She didn't usually run off like this. Then again, that was in the past when she was younger. Sango didn't understand why she would leave her daughter. Something was going on and she was going to find out.

"I'm going for a walk Sakura do you want to come?" Sango asked politely. Sakura shrugged her shoulders and agreed.

"It looks like it rained quite a bit last night don't you think?" Sakura said as she assessed their surroundings and trotted through the wet puddles along the dirt path outside the hut. She looked down at the hems of her jeans. They were drenched in the offending muck, but she didn't care about that right now. Her mother was no where to be found, and it worried her. Her mother never left without letting her know where she was going.

Kibou trotted softly against her mother's side as they trailed behind Sakura and Sango. She stopped being careful of all the big puddles and hiccupped before bounding over them in hopeful leaps. Kirara watched curiously as her youngest lagged behind slightly to master the puddles. Kirara mewed softly, trying to make sure Kibou kept up as much as possible. Aoi, Hayate, and Miyu were all able to stay in front of Kirara with no troubles at all. Some actually dared to tread through the deep puddles with no qualms at all, but Kibou just cautiously approached them and deterred at the slight moist feeling against her paw.

"Yes, quite a lot of rain. It hasn't rained like this for awhile now." Sango commented.

They were about to pass the entrance of the village, when Kibou darted underneath a small opening at the bottom of the gate and out into the outskirts of the village. Kirara hissed and bounded after her youngest, also slipping through the tight opening in the gate. Hayate, Miyu, and Aoi stayed put, too scared to move a paw after they watched their mother hiss in frustration. Sango and Sakura cried out to Kirara and Kibou in surprise.

"Sakura, stay here and take care of Hayate, Miyu, and Aoi. I'll run after Kirara and Kibou." Sakura nodded promptly as Sango told the guards to open the gate. Sango ran out as soon as the gates opened just enough for her to slip through. She looked left and saw no nekos running off, but when she glanced right, she could just make out Kirara's tails. Sango ran after the felines until she saw Kirara transform when there was a bear youkai. Sango cursed for not bringing her hiraikotsu, but managed to pull out a dagger from the inside of her kimono.

Kibou trembled at the sight of the bear youkai, but what laid behind the bear youkai was an unconscious demoness. Kibou looked back to Sango as if just realizing she was there as well. Kibou bounded towards the slayer and clawed at her ankle lightly. Sango bent down to grab the hiccupping kitten and stroked her fur until she was calm. Kirara roared furiously at the offending bear youkai, the bear youkai took a sturdy stance and roared back at Kirara with just much rage. They had trespassed it while it was about to feed on the demoness. Sango looked down at Kibou questioningly. Neko demons didn't usually run off unless they knew something was wrong. Sango glanced behind the bear demon to get a better look at the demoness and she was appalled to notice that the demoness was similar to Kagome. There was blood on the ground near her shoulder and she could only guess that this bear had attacked her. Sango looked at the bear with anger shown clearly across the planes of her face.

"Kirara, take care of Kibou. This demon has crossed the wrong person when it decided to attack Kagome-chan!" Sango bit through clenched teeth. Kirara growled before slowly backing up until she was beside Sango and her young kitten. Sango took a heavy, guarded step towards the bear leaving her two companions behind. "Let's dance." Sango growled out.

* * *

><p>To those who may be confused...I just pulled an 'inception' on you all. Dream within a dream! ;)<p>

This is a lot of information to take in, but hopefully you guys are following without too much confusion.


	4. Chapter 4

Our Little Secret

Chapter 4: Sango's Request

Funny how the world can change

When you're gone nothing's the same

I do the things we used to do

But I don't want to without you

So come back and see

Right here's where you should be

It gets so lonely - Suzie Mcneil

* * *

><p><em>It didn't matter the extent in which the numb emptiness tore through my body, not when I sense a youkai near me. All my vitals are co-operating, just my nerves are probably shot. Whether I am moving my fingers or not, I did not know, but the sense of danger never stops at making itself unbearably noticeable. I have to do something...but when I can't move a muscle, it's kind of...problematic.<em>

'Mistress could let Beasty out and Beasty would do short work of this **pest**...' _A purr echoes through my mind. Aren't I supposed to be a wolf, not a cat? _

'When Beasty agreed to give Mistress cunning, Beasty never thought Mistress would be so quick to use it...' _My beast growled sarcastically. Whining against the restraints of my mind, as she became restless from the proximity of the youkai approaching. It was very tempting to lift the restraints and let my beast take control, but I knew better than to relinquish the hold of my emotions and powers to a primal part of my soul. God help us all if that ever happens!_

_I can hear distant shouts across from me. I couldn't hear the voice very clearly, but a part of me wants to believe that Sango is there to defend me. Maybe that is just wishful thinking. A sweet scent careens against the wind to fill my nostrils. It makes me believe that whoever is nearby is here to help. It has to be Sango. If only I could open my eyes then I could link the scent to the person. _

_Rumbles shake the ground, and I am regaining some feeling in my body. My body was starting to send electrical pulses between my nerves and brain. It's progress at the very least. I give silent pleas to my body, but again I can only feel the numb emptiness pulling at the treads of my patience. Tying my patience in little nasty knots and twirling the frayed ends with its little irksome hands in spite. _

_The mocking voice of my beast echoed in my mind, giving the little word 'cunning' movement to trot in between the bars of my mind, zigzagging around the confines as if it's just a mere illusion. And maybe it is, maybe this is all some silly trick to test my strength. I inwardly smirk, if that's the case, then I should have noticed sooner. _

_Calling up all the internal strength inside me, I feel a slight shift in the numb emptiness. It's a stinging feeling that is very similar to the feeling of running hot water over your numb hands. The feeling of warming up too quickly than what your body regularly allows. However, this is hardly cunning. This is just acknowledgment. Acknowledgment, to show that I am not hopeless after all. _

_When I turned into a half demon, I never felt the overwhelming strength coursing through my blood. Actually, it was quite the opposite. Tainted, and dirty. Something that wasn't supposed to be given to me. Something that wasn't expected and wanted. Stripped of all dignity and innocence, I was forced to live through the gossip of teen pregnancy. Lost all my friends, even Hojo. All that was left for me was my family, and the regret that would soon wash over me everyday for the next nine months. But it hadn't always been easy during those nine months. Actually, it turned out to be seven months. I guess demon blood speeds up the pregnancy. _

_No matter how many group therapy sessions, no one could relate to being raped by a half demon who was once your best friend, who protected you from every demon in feudal Japan, everyone except himself._

_All those years of wishing I could have that protection again, the best friend I could always count on. There was never a moment that went by where I was always pinching myself. Willing for all of it to be a nightmare. But then something wonderful happened, and it was as if all of it was worth it. My daughter was born, and when I saw her for the first time, a warm airy bubble swelled inside my chest. I lost all feeling of pain and instead I felt like only my daughter and I were in some alternate dimension-somewhere far from prying eyes and the harsh sting of reality. _

_As the years passed by, I watched her take her first independent steps, utter her first words, interact with other children, play the flute, dance in recitals, and rocket her way to top of her class in grade eight. She was brilliant and no matter how many times I questioned where that talent came from, I just knew that the Gods have blessed both of us. _

_However, I do not feel at all blessed right now to be near a bear youkai with almost nothing to defend myself. But almost no defence mechanisms was at least something. _

_I could hear my daughter now, and the danger of the situation crashed onto me like freezing water spiking the adrenaline to course faster. It was a succession of movement that rapidly occurred in time with each millisecond that passed. Heart pumping, fingers moving, toes tingling, legs twitching, arms shaking, knuckles cracking, head jerking, body rolling, quads bursting, calves springing, hands tearing, warmth dripping, gasps quaking, shock amending the fear, and finally satisfaction brought me back._

_Now this, **this**, felt right. This gift was meant for my body, so pure and filled with good intent. This is what I was destined to become, and I now realize that coming back to feudal Japan was not a mistake. I feel full of life, like my soul is complete and maybe that was what was wrong all along._

_I felt alive. _

* * *

><p>Sango could feel fatigue wearing on her as the time passed by. She couldn't let Sakura get injured by this youkai and she would be damned if anything did happen to her. Sakura is her niece now. She is a part of their broken little family here in the feudal era. They had to stick together just like old times. Sakura reminded her so much of Kagome, but so much like Inuyasha. She could uncover the everlasting kindness that Kagome possesses, but the courage triumphing in those eyes are very much like Inuyasha's.<p>

Sango lost focus as the bear charged before her very eyes and she could only watch, horrific paralysis seeping into her bones. What was wrong with her? It's as if an enchantment was cast onto her. Through the foliage of the forest, she could sense no signs of sorcery. So, what was this? She never felt this way before. It didn't feel natural and it only made her body want to go into shock from anxiety. She could hear Kirara's growls grow closer, she could only guess that the neko was going to attack if she didn't do anything soon. She could only hope that she wasn't going to die by a mere bear youkai. And just before the bear came within seven feet, something was planted in her mind:

_Dark abyss wash lands in chaos; **There will be no more loss**_

_Cleanse all that breathes in purity; **Bring them together in unity**_

_Annihilate the pestilence; **With a touch of silence**_

_in time darkness will prevail; _**in time you shan't fail**

_And, I will carry out your desires; _**Douce those fires**

_in human and demonic form; **with your storm**_

_Enter, my King, you will reign; **Destroy the King whom is vain.**_

_Grace your cold soles against the marble floors; _**in the distance he roars**

_Let the world know that you are here; **have no fear**_

_Lead us to power; **do not cower**_

_Destroy all that's imperfect; **the Good will disinfect**_

_Create a new destiny, and we all shall follow;** or else there will be no 'morrow**_

_Onyx master; **Protect against disaster**_

_make your mark, bleed out the moon and stars; **from afar be our Mars**_

_The legacy has begun. **The legacy has begun.**_

Sango gasped as the last ounce of paralysis drained from her body and into the Earth. Warmth drenched her front and she could only think about the words that haunt her soul. What did this mean? Who unleashed this incorrigible evil? Shaken to her core, Sango grasped what little strength she had left. Pain gripped the muscles and wrenched them in distress.

"Sango.." Sakura murmured. She wrapped her slender fingers around the slayer's arm. The slayer's muscles quivering under her grasp. What could have possibly made Sango this way? There was no way she could deduce what happened. There was nothing around to cause her to go into such a state. Sango regained her composure as best as she could. Straightening her form and looking down at Sakura gratefully.

Kirara nuzzled Sango's side worriedly, Kibou also sensing no other danger pranced under her mother towards the slayer.

"What happened? Why am I covered in blood? I do not feel injured, so it can't possibly be mine." Sango questioned, begrudgingly looking at the mass of red on the front of her uniform. Sakura looked up at the beautiful demon in question as Kagome shoved the massive bear youkai off to the side.

"Ka-Kagome?" Sango sputtered as she remembered this was her best friend and sister.

"Well...that was invigorating.." Kagome thought out loud. She glanced over to the pair of eyes that stared at her in shock, "Uhh...yo?"

"Mom what happened to you?" Sakura asked, gesturing to her mother's body. Sango watched as Sakura made her way towards her mother, but she recalled something from her slayer training that made her paranoid. She quickly snatched Sakura's wrist, pulling her away from her mother.

"Hold on, just to make sure you aren't an impostor, what is Kagome's favourite food?" Sango scrutinized.

"Sango?" Sakura asked tentatively, but turned her head up towards her mother's cold stare at Sango.

Kagome's cold stare bore into her best friend's eyes, but a smile warmed the cold pools as she simply replied. Kagome respected Sango's protective nature, "Oden."

Sango nodded, and smiled slightly. "And just to be safe, what subject did Kagome hate in middle school?"

"Mathematics." Kagome winced at the memories of those blasted tests that she always managed to fail.

"Alright, I believe you're our Kagome! But you have a lot of explaining to do."

"I do have a lot to explain, don't I?" Kagome tapped her chin thoughtfully, "I think we should go back to the hut where we can all sit down for this one."

Sango and Sakura nodded in agreement and just before they turned to walk in the direction of the village, Kagome called out,

"Oh and Sango-chan..." Sango turned around in question, wondering why her friend didn't move away from the dead bear youkai.

"Thank you for protecting Sakura." Kagome, tearing her eyes away from the carcass to look at Sango, gratefully smiled. Sango nodded as their eyes met in a silent promise. A promise that only sisters could understand during difficult times. And with their own problems troubling their minds, they could only hope that good would come out of it and that soon they would get the answers that they rightfully deserve.

Kirara and Kibou watched the silent exchanged and together mewed happily seeing that no one was badly injured or worse. Kibou hiccupped as she neared her now wolf youkai owner. Kagome knelt down to gather Kibou in her arms, but she didn't have to move much when Kibou hiccupped again and hesitantly leaped into her waiting embrace.

"You my little friend need to get looked at for those little hiccups, and soon." Kibou looked up at Kagome and cocked her head to the side while hiccuping lightly. "Thanks for finding me little one." Kibou licked Kagome's palms affectionately at the mention of the little praise.

* * *

><p>Once Sango, Kagome, Sakura, Kibou, and Kirara arrived in the village they immediately met up with the three neko kittens that were waiting patiently inside near the gate. After rejoicing in the return of the kittens' lost sibling, Kagome and the others noticed that a lot of commotion was going on in the far west side of the fortress.<p>

"Must be another intense sparring going on." Sango informed her companions. "It looks like Shippo is really giving them a kick in the butt this time around."

Sakura brightened at the mention of Shippo, she was beginning to adore his bravery and commitment to help people. She wondered what they would look like as a couple, but before she could explore that more, she chastised herself for getting too far ahead of herself. 'Com'on Sakura get a grip, he would never go for someone like me. He probably has a lot of girls pining for him. Lots of fox demonesses that look better than a inu half demon like me.'

Kagome recognized the sudden fluctuation in her daughter's emotions, especially the way her eyes lit up at the mention of a certain fox demon. However the sudden bitter fall in her scent, made Kagome wonder what inner turmoil had changed her mood so drastically.

"Sakura, why don't you go see if Shippo needs any help." Sakura froze and blushed at the idea of helping the handsome kitsune. "I'll talk to you later tonight before we go to bed okay?"

Sakura pondered on this for a moment. She really wanted to know what happened to her mother and Sango, but something told her that it was probably better for the older women to discuss their trivial matters before further confusing her. Besides, she wouldn't be much help trying to figure out what happened. She was still, after all, getting used to this era.

Kagome watched as Sakura walked toward the west end of the fortress before leaving to go talk with Sango in a more secured area of the grounds.

They walked into the tearoom of Sango's hut, feet relaxing against the woven straw tatami. The fusuma paintings decorated the shoji doors and walls, each depicting four different seasons by the types of trees and animals that playfully adorned the room's sense of tranquility and serenity.

"My father would always come in here to train my brother and I in the forms of meditation. He never talked about political matters in here, and when I asked him why, he always told me that the mind and body deserve a space where both can be at peace and still be in a working state of mind to sort through logical paradoxes."

"Sounds like he wanted to keep your instincts as sharp as ever." Kagome added thoughtfully as she stared at the fusuma portraying a wintery evening. Sango looked behind her to the painting that Kagome was looking at, and sighed morosely.

"Before Miroku died, I showed him this room. He was captured by the very painting you're looking at now. He told me that winter was the renewal of the earth, where the gods sprinkled snow upon the land to preserve order and peace among the living. It was the realization that everything dies at some point, but it's a continuous cycle where one only waits for spring to come around to start a new beginning."

"Sango..." Kagome's eyes softened at the slayer who was looking down into her lap mournfully.

"Kagome, I want you to promise me something," Sango stared into Kagome's eyes with fierce determination.

"Anything," Kagome whispered.

"Do not leave me to live alone in this world. Training these men, takes my mind off the memories of Miroku...but if you ever decide to leave this era forever, please take me with you or kill me."

* * *

><p>Thank you for your patience! Please leave a review. I've done it before where I read a story on here and I don't review, now I feel guilty for reading a story without reviewing it to show my respect for other people's works and efforts. We're all new andor practicing writers and readers here, so stay apart of the community and take some time to give a little back to show that you enjoy our creative efforts. :)

**The prophecy: to avoid confusion the bold part is read on its own. **And vice versa.

I am truly sorry for the delay. College tends to be a little over-bearing with their assignments and exams. And it's mostly my art that takes up the most of my time because I put at least 70 hours into each project and then by the end of it I am really exhausted emotionally and physically. So here's the chapter that everyone has been waiting for, again, I am sorry for the delay. This chapter has been split in half, so the next chapter won't be too long of a wait. Sometime before xmas hopefully. The next chapter has a lot of things exciting happening in it...hint someone comes back to life. Is it friend or foe? I cannot say. Guess you'll just have to wait. I promise the wait won't be THIS long though!

I would like to thank the following reviewers so far for their comments and encouragements:

risen truth ruthless lies

ProtectoraofmiLuna

Blondie95

cerezita72903

Melly

I am glad you are all enjoying my story so far! :) P.S. Melly, sorry for leaving it on another cliffy. Next chapter I will do my best to end it completely. ^_^ But I like to play with the element of suspense so I can't guarantee that for the rest of my story (insert facepalm here).


	5. Chapter 5

**Our Little Secret**

Chapter 5: Back to Business

I turn the music up, I got my records on

From underneath the rubble sing a rebel song

Don't want to see another generation drop

I'd rather be a comma, than a full stop.

Maybe I'm in the black, maybe I'm on my knees

Maybe I'm in the gap between the two trapezes

But my heart is beating and my pulses start

Cathedrals are my heart

As we saw, Woah this light

I swear you emerge blinking

to tell me it's alright

As we soar walls

Every siren is a symphony

And every tear's a waterfall.

Coldplay

* * *

><p>"I could never do the latter, Sango. And if that's what you really want, to leave and come with me I mean, I'll do it in a heartbeat." Kagome comfortingly rested a hand on the slayer's shoulder as Sango wiped the stray tears off her face. Kagome felt the pain coming off Sango in waves, and Kagome harboured the empathetic feelings of hurt. They had each other now, and that's better than having no one at all.<p>

"Did you bring us back here because you sensed something, Kagome?" Sango sniffed, trying to direct the attention away from her loss. Besides, if anyone sensed something it would be Kagome.

"No, actually it was because my daughter couldn't take the smell of bear guts" Kagome laughed but stopped immediately as she watched Sango frown, "why, was there something that caught you off guard?" Sango could pretend that something wasn't bothering her, but Kagome has known her for too long to notice that something was causing Sango turmoil. The scent alone revealed a tone of sadness in the air.

"A voice was inside my head. It sounded like a prophecy." Sango shook her head in confusion, "the weird thing is, I can't remember it now that I try to think of the words."

Kagome looked over at her friend in shock. Kagome sniffed at Sango's scent. Nothing. Nothing was wrong or out of the ordinary. Sango had no mental barriers imposed on her. It was as the slayer claimed—seemingly forgotten.

"There's nothing, I can't sense anything on you. Which is very strange. When did this happen?" Sango frowned, it didn't make sense. She couldn't possibly be going crazy either. She tried to remember the moment before the incident happened. The bear youkai was ready to attack and she was looking right into its murderous red pupils. Sango stood up abruptly. _That had to be it then..._

".. eh, Sango?" Kagome was brought out of her own thoughts by Sango's hasty actions, "Where are you going?"

Sango grabbed her hiraikotsu, and pulled back the shoji door behind Kagome and ran down the hut's corridor. Kagome followed suit, catching up to Sango in no time at all. "Sango, where are we going?" Sango kept her focus on the village gates ahead, there was no questioning the cause of the ominous voice. There was no other logical explanation other than the bear. Why didn't she see it before?

"To investigate that bear." Sango just hoped that some other demon hadn't dragged off the remains of the corpse. Then there really would be no explanation for the voice.

"You think the bear was the cause of it?"

"If not the bear then who?" Sango bit the corner of her lip, she seriously hoped that her instincts were right. An invisible opponent was never a good thing. Kagome looked back sensing a familiar aura closing in, and she noticed the flickering of flames against blonde fur. Kirara, ran past Kagome and up along Sango, where she could pick up her mistress. Sango jumped onto Kirara's back and raced off into the forest with Kagome trailing shortly behind them.

* * *

><p>Sakura was a good distance away from Sango's house. When she was about to walk around the corner to the sparring field, someone roughly grabbed her shoulder from behind. An older man looked at her, his face anything from civilized and his scraggily, untamed grey beard billowed out at each side, but it seemed like instead of focusing on her he was looking through her. His mouth opened revealing rotting teeth, and unknown words filling the silence. "The legacy has begun."<p>

Sakura jerked her shoulder out of the man's grasp and backed up as far as she could away from him. He seemed to be slowly following her chanting the same words repeatedly. She continued to run towards the sparring field looking anxiously for the kitsune. Shippo looked up from training two demon exterminators to see Sakura running towards him with terrified eyes. Shippo stopped sparring with the village men, and sprinted towards the frightened girl.

"Sakura, what's going on?" Shippo sniffed around Sakura and found the scent of a man on her shoulder. He trained his azure eyes, gazing into her amber ones with concern,"What happened?"

Sakura regained her breathing, she pointed in the direction she had come from while explaining the situation. Shippo walked with her to the spot she had the encounter. Shippo sniffed the area and squinted his eyes. He followed in the direction the strange scent was coming from and when he was brought to a the weaponry hut just outside of the sparring field, he looked back at Sakura. "What's weird is, the man stopped following you and went to a specific location instead. Probably because he noticed the immediate danger." He glanced around his surrounding to make sure nothing was going to harm Sakura while he investigated. "Stay here." Sakura nodded hesitantly, looking around her every so often.

Shippo walked cautiously into the weaponry hut. The scent was directing him into a far room at the back, and when he pulled the sliding door of the room, he realized too late that this was a hoax. _Dammit!_ The cause of the scent was a decoy to set him off track. His head snapped to the sound of a muffled scream and sped towards the entrance of the building.

.

.

.

Sakura didn't like that he had gone in by himself, so she followed after he disappeared into the building. When she stepped inside, she noticed that the building was medium in size and held a vast range of weapons from fans to katanas, shields, and bows and arrows. She took a step forward, but failed to notice that someone was watching her in the shadows. And neither did she sense the person that came up behind her, seizing her in their iron grasp.

Shippo quickly reached the entrance, he noticed that there was a masked ninja figure in black holding Sakura with a katana placed at her throat. "If you want her unharmed, you better co-operate kit."

Shippo growled in fury, the ninja smirked. He knew that he had the kitsune wrapped around his finger thanks to the stupid half breed girl.

"Let her go now!" Shippo growled out. The ninja only laughed, and pressed the blade tighter to Sakura's neck. A thin red line marked her skin when the ninja moved the blade to show Shippo how close she was to losing her life.

"What do you want?" Shippo glared at the ninja. He had no other choice but to play with this stupid ninja's mind games.

"That's more like it." The ninja quirked a nasty smile. "I was going to kill you for your soul, but since you really care about this girl, I think I'll take her soul instead."

Shippo's eyes widened in disbelief. "What! But why? She's done nothing to you!"

The ninja only turned his head to listen closely to Sakura's ill attempt at talking. "What's that? You want me to take your life and leave?"

Sakura's eyes widened as the ninja brought the sword away from her to gain his momentum to quickly end her life. "Well why didn't you just say so little girl?"

Shippo moved with incredible speed, knocking the steel blade to the ground and punched the ninja in the jaw. Sakura felt the ninja's hold on her release and she ran to Shippo's side. Shippo held her face in his hands and looked at her with genuine concern. "Are you okay?"

"I am now." Sakura managed to make a small smile as she hugged Shippo tightly. "Thank you."

"Well isn't this touching. I was just going to kill one of you but now I'm going to kill the both of you." The ninja pulled off his mask and wiped at the blood that formed from a cut in his lip. Shippo got a good look of the ninja and couldn't believe his eyes. "Doshite?"

The ninja had spiky forest green hair and icy blue eyes glinting with unwavering rage and hate. He had two dark blue demonic markings striking up from his high cheek bone on the right side of his face to just above his eyebrow. The markings were similar to claw marks inflicted by an enemy.

"Oh? Surprised are we? While you're busy showing off to Sensei, I am busy planning your ultimate demise. Isn't this how it was supposed to go, Shippo-_chan_? We were supposed to become great demons together...but you ditched me after the final trial for our third exam. So I made it this far with the thoughts of beating you once and for all!"

"Nani!" Shippo shook his head in disgust. "Don't blame your failures on me, I passed that round so that I could go onto the next one. All of us had the same thoughts. No one can go back once they have passed. You know that, Ruki!"

"That's not true, you could have stayed. But now we can't change the past and I've waited a decade to kill you." Ruki cracked his knuckles preparing himself to attack.

"I couldn't stay, Sensei sent me off on a mission right after I passed my exam. I saw what Fentang did to you before I left, I was worried the whole time, but I couldn't risk getting kicked out for disobeying Sensei." Shippo held his ground. He wasn't able to communicate with Ruki on the terms of the training grounds. Once you made it to another level, you moved to another station across Japan. That's how it always was, you either move, or stay. It was a final contract, agreed upon the elders and passed down to the trainees to abide by. And if you did decide to disobey and stay, you were terminated as a student indefinitely, and exiled from all training grounds.

"You lie, we all knew you were _exceptional _at deception, right Shippo-_chan_?"

"No, and you're are greatly mistaken. I'm sorry that you think that way, Ruki, but your accusations have gone far enough. Leave now before you force me to do something I'll regret!" Shippo glared dangerously at Ruki, whom mirrored his glares equally. But something changed quickly, and that glare softened into an expression of defeat, but understanding.

"Hm, it seems you both wish me to leave. Perhaps I will." Shippo relaxed a little when he noticed Ruki start to leave, however, Ruki had other plans in mind. Once he noticed Shippo drop his guard for a second to look at the girl, he charged at him and caught the kitsune by surprise. Shippo was forced back, landing roughly on his back. Shippo regained his senses, but it had already been too late. Ruki had set off another decoy that filled the hut with smoke to make his grand escape. A voice echoed in the building tauntingly, "If you wish to see your _beloved_ again, I suggest you come to the Nokaitsu Caves at dusk. Bring no one with you, and if you think of disobeying, I will make sure the girl dies a painful death."

Shippo slammed his fist into a nearby wall, the weapons that rested on shelves and hooks shook and crashed to the ground. Ruki managed to escape with the one person he intended to protect with his life. No one messed with Kagome's daughter. He would have let Ruki escape with his head in tact, but now the damn ninja had crossed the line and threatened Sakura. This was war.

And even with these thoughts, another word echoed inside his head. It was hard for him to speak them out loud, but the movement of his tongue etching the letters into existence made something unknown stir from his chest. _Beloved_.

* * *

><p>"Good the bear is still here." Sango sighed in relief. They reached the place in the forest where they had battled the bear youkai and the surroundings were the same as before.<p>

Kagome looked around the area trying to catch a whiff of any offending demons. The stench of the bear demon was almost too much for her nose. "Do you sense anything different, Kagome?"

"Hm.." Kagome at this point had to plug her nose. "Um, besides the putrid scent of blood and gore? No."

Sango, hopped off Kirara and walked around the area. The bear did smell unpleasant, but she could understand that having a sensitive youkai nose amplifies it beyond the capabilities of a human nose.

"I'm just going to stand over there for a bit," Kagome pointed in a random direction and practically ran to the spot where she could breathe easier. Kirara quietly snuck off towards the direction Kagome went, but still stayed relatively close to Sango just in case. Kagome smirked, she was glad that the smell wasn't only affecting her, she kind of felt like the odd man out.

Sango circled the bear thoughtfully, trying to see if there was anything out of the ordinary, but with no luck on her side she ended up with no leads. Although, she could never remember Kirara moving away from a dead youkai like this. In fact, Kirara was never deterred by the stench of a corpse. Why is now different from all the other times?

As if on queue, a ghastly green mist escaped from the organs of the demon and began to move directly into the abundant forest. Kagome and Kirara both noticed the mist from afar, and ran back to investigate. They were able to make it just in time to see it moving into the forest at a steady pace.

"I have a bad feeling about this, but I think we are supposed to follow it." Kagome watched the mist disappear slightly from their line of sight. Sango agreed with a simple nod, "Kirara and I will fly over just enough to examine the surroundings ahead just to be safe."

"Alright..but stay close," once she received a nod from the other woman, Kagome made haste to catch up to the green mist. Sango jumped onto Kirara and took off without caution.

The green mist lead them through thick brush, around in loops, sharp turns, up a hill with spiralling roots aiding in the climb, and downhill into a marsh.

As soon as they arrived in the marsh, the green mist vanished and in arrived heavy fog spilling out and masking their surroundings. "Sango?"

No response.

"Kirara?"

Kagome looked around frantically, but still no sounds, except the occasional ripple and splash of toads. Kagome walked into the marsh, letting the murky water soil the hem of her clothing. This was also a bad idea, walking into a fog-covered marsh and not being able to see your feet or ankles through the water. However, where was Sango and Kirara. If they were still travelling through the air it would be hard to catch a glimpse of her. The fog seemed to grow thicker by the second and Kagome thought that it must be at least 8 to ten feet high. Kagome kept her pace in the water, feeling the sharp poke of flooded plants and twigs under her feet and tickling her ankles.

Everything was white now, and no longer could she see anything past her waist. If a demon attacked her, this would be the most opportune time. She was a sitting duck, and the first part of her to be attacked, would be from all sides. And distracting her from looking up, is a great advantage for the enemy.

_**'Mistress, should go back.'**_

_Oh, so now you decide to tell me this._

**'Beasty didn't recognize where her mistress was, but this is a graveyard.'**

_What? How can this be a graveyard? I don't sense decay and grave soil__._

**'Looks can be deceiving. Right now, Mistress is walking through dead bodies and souls.'**

"That's disgusting!"Kagome bellowed. Everything went quiet, and a soft rumble began to emanate from beneath Kagome's feet.

**'Fool! Don't just stand there, RUN!'**

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><p>Alright! Yes I know I said I would update in December, and something came up. I tried and now I updated! :D And now you wait again, but I have a time to get chapter 6 rolling! Happy belated merry christmas and happy new year, ground hog day, and Valentines Day! ^_^' haha...<p>

Thank you for the reviews! Greatly appreciated! Keep 'em coming!

And yes, I work like a snail sometimes, but I get it done ... Eventually.

So, next chapter: Two battles go on, both to save lives, find new strength, find answers, AND wolves!

aestheticreations


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